What causes a new hen to lay eggs with thin or no shell?

Question

The other hens with her lay eggs with nice thick shells. Her first egg yesterday had a thin shell, and today there was NO shell. Is this something that will correct itself with time, or does she have some sort of congenital abnormality?

Update:

She has been on the laying feed for 3 wks along with the other hens, and they have no probs.

Alex · Accepted Answer

She needs more calcium in her diet. Get some feed for egg laying hens and that'll fix the problem.

If you don't have a real good feed store, get some reptile calcium powder and mix it into her feed.

Cptokay · Answer

Calcium deficiency would be the first guess. I agree you should supplement this if the diet is lacking in calcium. The phosphorus ratio is another issue where if there is to much she might have plenty of calcium but it is not going into the eggs. This can be caused by renal issues as well. I always recommend consulting with a veterinarian who works with poultry to evaluate the type of feed and additives to the diet. I wish you luck, raising chickens can become a great hobby.

Real Deal CowGirl · Answer

if theyre young (like 6 months) its not uncommon for them to lay odd ones,and even when older there is the occasional odd one,but usually it is caused by lack of calcium,get some oyster shell for them,and that will help add calcium back into their diet,its sold specifically for that.

♥sweet silence♥ · Answer

its ok things is pretty normal- it doesnt happen with all chickens, but its still not unusual.

dont worry, she should soon start laying properly, its only because she is new to laying eggs.

you should feed her some oyster shell, that will definitely help!

Maple · Answer

Hmm...probably got a hold of something it shouldn't have ate that was high in protein, like a dragonfly or something. It shouldn't be permanent.

Anonymous · Answer

DDT

What causes a new hen to lay eggs with thin or no shell?

6 Answers